opinions please?

babyblake11
babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
on my diet and exercise.
my diary includes a few processed foods that i am eating up to get rid of them, im getting rid of processed oat sachets, most muesli bars (im keeping carmans) and stuff like that. i always make sure to get salad and veggies with lunch and dinner and have 1-4 pieces fruit daily.
i exercise daily. toning exercises up to 6 days a week. i do at least 45 minutes exercise a day, mostly done walking, sometimes i will dance or do taekwando.
im on maintenance and im at a perfectly healthy weight. looking into starting weight training at a gym once a week(i dont have too much free time with a baby)
any improvements?
struggling with body fat, which is why i want to start weight training.

Replies

  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    You must feed to succeed so if you are intending to build muscle and reduce bodyfat % then you will require a caloric surplus above and beyond what you are eating at maintenance level. Eating for the goal is the key to getting the results you desire, weight loss requires a deficit and building muscle without an excess of bodyfat makes it difficult to do so. Likewise building muscle mass while at a maintenance level will not really benefit you either unless you are eating to accommodate that so eating back the cals burnt off plus a little more and lots of protein roughly 1 gram of protein for every pound of desired lean body mass. On the other side the scale weight will go up somewhat but the bodyfat % will drop which will have a dramatic effect on how you look. I fail to understand the scale obsession that many have when the goal should be lower bodyfat % I would be perfectly happy to gain 10 pounds of lean body mass and see the scale go up.
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    First of all.. it probably does more harm than good to "finish off" a product from the home. I see that soooo often it drives me nuts sometimes. If you're looking to get rid of it then give it away. secondly, it sounds like weight training is the way to go and that you definitely have a good system in place! Thirdly, is there a daycare at your gym? That can help a lot. That's why we go to our gym.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    First of all.. it probably does more harm than good to "finish off" a product from the home. I see that soooo often it drives me nuts sometimes. If you're looking to get rid of it then give it away. secondly, it sounds like weight training is the way to go and that you definitely have a good system in place! Thirdly, is there a daycare at your gym? That can help a lot. That's why we go to our gym.

    the things im 'finishing off' arnt that bad they just dont have as much nutrition as i'd like, i've thrown out and given away all bad things but i have decided to finish these off because they still have a bit of nutrients and i like them.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    2 pieces of fruit max per day is a common rec by MFP'ers. I thought it was odd too when I first heard it b/c it was natural and the carbs must be better than pasta but in the end, its a carb, a lot of it. So enjoy an apple before a workout and some berries after dinner for dessert but limit it to 2 a day to cut back on carbs so your body can burn fat and not all those extra carbs.

    EDIT: Oh, just noticed you said you just had a baby. You CANNOT cut back your calories if you are nursing. If you are not nursing DO IT, it burns about 500 cals a day.
  • avalacrosse
    avalacrosse Posts: 20
    You should always be adding strength training followed by about 15-20 minutes of cardio. This way, you gain lean muscle, lowering your body fat percentage. People misunderstand "cardio burns fat." Yessss, but not by itself. Finish off those foods in moderation and use your baby as weight! Do squats holding him/her, do leg lifts, etc. Also, you don't need a gym to lift weights. For women to gain lean muscle, the least amount of weight is actually the key. 5-15 lb dumbells do the trick. You can get a small set at Wal*Mart. Also, invest in pilates. Fantastic workout.
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